Zuko and Katara's ABCs
by luvnote4u
Summary: a series of one shots in which the title starts with a different letter of the alphabet. Zutara!  A is for Azula's Insight; B is for Blue Eyes Blue; C is for Crash and Burn
1. A is for Azula's Insight

**Author Note: **Hey! This is my first Avatar fic. There are probably a million other things I should be doing right now (including stories for that I need to continue), but this kept nagging at me. So I wrote it down. This chapter is highly Azula centric. Basically, this is my explanation as to why she shot lightning at Katara in the finale. I hope you all like it. Please Review!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own AtLA. If I did Zuko and Katara would have ended up together.

**A is for Azula's Insight**

She was a people person. Next to her unparalleled bending abilities, her ability to sniff out others' secrets was uncanny. She had to admit, however, some people were easier than others were. Mai certainly had her fooled. _Traitor_. Ty Lee, as well, proved she was more complex than her innocent expressions led one to believe. No matter. They both got their just desserts. Her brother, on the other hand, was as transparent as they came. Sure, he tried to guard his feelings, especially when she was near, but his eyes were too honest, too expressive. Through them, she caught every subtle nuance, every hint of doubt, fear, anger, and—very seldom—triumph.

It was during the coup she organized at Ba Sing Se that she first detected something amiss. Zuko and her imbecile for an uncle were in a heated discussion when she and the Dai Li burst into the catacombs. The Dai Li had Iroh imprisoned before the old man could blink. That left her and Zuzu. Looking back, she wondered why she had given the fool a second chance. She should have just imprisoned him along with their uncle and taken the Avatar down herself. If anything, the blame fell on her love of tormenting Zuko. She could bother him if he was locked in some cell back in the Fire Nation, certainly. Yet, that did not have the same appeal as knowing she could haunt his step, make him nervous, and irritate the living daylights out of him on a regular basis. Whatever her reasoning for doing it, she offered Zuko a second chance. What surprised her was how reluctant he was to accept her offer.

He should have agreed eagerly on the spot. That was what the Zuko she knew and loathed would have done; accepted her invitation at redemption blindly without thinking about the consequences. Instead, there was hesitance in his eyes. Initially, she attributed his disinclination to her fat uncle speaking his ridiculous proverbs and whatnot in his ear. That would have made sense. Zuzu always had a pathetic attachment to the old coot. She almost would have believed this explanation too, if not for the swift, wistful glance Zuko shot at the makeshift arch where the Avatar must have gone.

So, she was not the only one making offers. It mattered not, she decided. She knew Zuzu better than anyone and therefore, knew how to make her promises sound infinitely more enticing. All she had to do was drop a single key word and she knew he would be hooked: honor.

She smiled delightedly as she watched her handiwork unfold across his face. Turning on her heal to allow him to mull it over and to insure that the Avatar did not escape, she sauntered into a larger cavern where her prey was attempting to flee. To her surprise, the Avatar was not alone. Oh, yes. That's right. She threw that Water Tribe peasant into the catacombs shortly before she apprehended her brother. Curious…

It took Zuko long enough to make a choice. The Avatar and the water peasant had her cornered (not something she was accustomed to) when he joined them in the cavern. At first, his fighting stance was pointed at her. He would not really attack her. She was his sister. More importantly, it would mean forfeiting everything he had spent the past three years trying to regain—his crown, his honor, Father… Then, very deliberately his stance shifted and he was shooting jets of fire at the prepubescent Avatar. A crooked grin crossed her face as she rejoined the fray.

In the chaos of everything, opponents switched and it was she who was forcing the Avatar to dance for his life. Meanwhile, Zuko was locked in a battle against that peasant who had the nerve to call herself a bender. The girl had enveloped her arms in water, giving them an almost tentacle-like quality. Instead of taking advantage and exploiting her weaknesses, Zuko mimicked her, creating long, fiery sleeves, which he whipped at her just as she whipped hers at him.

What was the matter with him? He could easily take her down if he made use of his agility. It was almost as if he did not _want_ to fight her. That was the moment the notion first entered her head. Between her attacks at the Avatar and watching Zuko's pathetic "attempts" at fighting the water bender, intuition was ringing in her head. The Avatar made no offer to him; Zuko's much more aggressive attacks at him earlier made that plain. No, the Avatar made no promises, but the peasant girl _did_.

Her assumptions were confirmed when she heard the water bender's voice ring out inside the cave, "I thought you had changed!"

She had attempted to broach the subject with Zuko several times after Ba Sing Se fell. She never asked outright what the girl had promised him but tried to trick him into giving something away. Apparently, he was not as stupid as he used to be. He evaded her insinuations, often with a brooding expression on his face. After a while, she grew bored with her little game and let the subject drop. There were far more interesting ways to tease and torment Zuko. Mai certainly seemed more chipper these days…

She had nearly forgotten her notions completely until the day she attacked the Western Air Temple. She was almost irked by the fact that the band of idiots had chosen _that_ as their hiding place. Really, could they be any less original? They took all the fun out of the chase by making it too easy. The only solace she took was knowing that she would finally rid the world of her no-good-treacherous-brother once and for all.

He looked pathetic, asking why she was there. Was it not obvious? The Dumb-Dumb could never get the simplest of facts through his head. She did not know why she thought this would be an exception. On top of being a dense hog-monkey, he was also a pathetic fighter. It comforted her a little, knowing that once Zuzu, the Avatar's fire bending instructor, was out of the picture, the Avatar would be easy to take down as well.

The fight was short and she was on the offensive. Her only frustration came from him swiping away each successive blast of blue fire. He made only one legitimate attempt at an offensive strike, coating his fist in fire just as she did to hers. The siblings' fists met and the shock of energy sent the pair flying of the side of the war balloon.

They were both plummeting to their deaths when she caught sight of that obnoxious flying bison swooping down. Atop the enormous saddle was the core of the band of morons—the blind earth bender; the water tribe warrior that Ty Lee asserted on several occasions was cute; her favorite prisoner whom she referred to as "Fan Girl"; the Avatar, and that pesky water bender peasant. She watched as the girl's arms stretched up and reached for her falling brother.

Fury that he yet again survived rocketed through her, but not before she noted the look of absolute trust that Zuko gave the peasant as he reached for her hands. The Avatar's groupies turned in the saddle to watch her fall with what she could only assume was hope. She was not about to give them the satisfaction of watching her die, not when she had unearthed a weakness in her greatest adversary.

She tumbled to the side of the cliff where she stabbed a dagger into the hard granite. She watched with satisfaction as each of their faces fell with disappointment. Zuko's expression she saved for last as she smirked knowingly at him. Call it a hunch, but she believed there were more than _friendly_ feelings brewing in her brother's heart for that low life, water tribe wench.

She would have to test her theory. Soon.

The day the comet came would be a turning point for her. Her mind was burning with a glorified vision of herself as the new Fire Lord. Victory could be tasted on her tongue. The last thing she was thinking about was her pathetic excuse for a brother.

One could only imagine her frustration when he arrived to disrupt her coronation.

He was not alone, she noted somewhere in the back of her buzzing mind. Dumb-Dumb brought his water tribe girlfriend. How quaint! Perhaps this was her lucky day. She now had the golden opportunity of ridding the world of two pests for the price of one. First, however, she had to separate them.

Zuko agreed willingly to her challenge of Agni Kai. _Fool_. The water bender looked worried at the prospect of her precious Zuzu fighting someone he had yet to defeat. She watched her brother murmur something to the peasant girl and the expression on her face became resolute. Zuko kept his eyes ahead, trained on his opponent, on his sister.

She assumed a loose fighting stance. These little squabbles were getting old. As much as she enjoyed winning, she really just wanted to be free of Zuzu and his whining. He too assumed a combative position, his scarred face uncharacteristically calm. Where was the boy who could not control his temper? That boy was easy to undermine. The boy who stood before her was collected and self-possessed. Maybe she should be concerned…no! It mattered not! Even if Zuzu had magically improved, she still had one more ace up her sleeve.

There was no denying that Zuko had improved, much to her fury. She had never seen this kind of control from him. Strangely enough, as his control strengthened, she felt hers slip through her fingers. She should have finished him by now! This was bad. This was very bad.

"No lightning today?" Zuko called out to her from the other end of the arena. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

She gritted her teeth. Truth be told, up until that moment she was unsure she would be able to have the precision necessary to produce lightning. Yet at the sound of his insufferable voice making ridiculous insinuations (her afraid? Ha!), she felt her wrath well up within her and she snarled back "I'll show you lightning!"

Static swirled dangerously around her as she took her aim at her brother. Zuko inhaled deeply and prepared himself for her strike. She almost gave in and shot the bolt at him when a flash of blue caught her eye. Behind Zuko and a little to his right stood that water bending peasant.

She bared her teeth in a triumphant sneer. Amidst all the chaos of the Agni Kai, she had nearly forgotten the little wannabe bender standing off on the sidelines. She had it now, her ace in the hole. One way or another, this would destroy Zuzu.

Her arm extended and she felt the force and power of the lightning surge through her veins and out her fingertips. The arena filled with blue light. The electrical current shot out towards the girl with the blue dress and stupid hair loopies. Poor Zuzu only had seconds to react. His golden eyes—identical to hers—opened wide with horror as he saw the direction the lightning had taken. His eyes glanced back at the helpless peasant and all her suspicions were confirmed.

Everything seemed to move slowly. "No!" Zuko shouted, leaping out in front of the girl, absorbing the blow into his chest.

The water bender's eyes widened, horrified by the display, as Zuko crashed to the ground. "Zuko!" she shrieked running forward.

Meanwhile, the dealer of the blow cackled victoriously at the sight of her twitching brother on the ground. _Poor, Zuzu_, she thought. _At least he died for something _honorable_: love_. Another peel of laughter filled the courtyard as she scoffed at the notion. _Once a Dumb-Dumb, always a Dumb-Dumb._


	2. B is for Blue Eyes Blue

**B is for Blue Eyes Blue**

_I thought I'd be all you need_

_In your eyes, I thought I saw my heaven_

_And now my heaven's gone away_

_And I'm out in the cold._

_-Blue Eyes Blue, Eric Clapton_

The quiet was unsettling. After all the fighting and constant chaos, seeing the capital city of the Fire Nation so peaceful sent chills up Katara's bear arms. She rubbed them slowly, easing away the turtle-goose bumps that had risen on her flesh.

She sighed heavily, leaning against the railing of the balcony for support. Her eyes scanned the empty courtyard. It was scarred and battered, pillars toppled over, and various supporting walls charred by the flames that had erupted that final day. She had not noticed how much damage had been inflicted at the time. For the past few days, whenever she was in the courtyard or overlooking it, it was overflowing with people, bustling with the sounds of festivities. It was easy to overlook all the damage in the face of such joy.

When she was alone, however, the memories came back. Every blackened scar on the ground below served as a reminder of what had transpired. She flinched as a flash of blue light danced across her mind's eye. Her hands gripped the railing forcefully until her knuckles were white with exertion.

Her heart pounded apprehensively as the memories flooded her mind. This happened whenever she allowed her mind to relive the horrors of that day. She felt the terror seize her heart as she imagined Zuko leaping through the air to protect her from Azula's lightning.

_Zuko_.

She did not know how to put into words just how grateful she was for his unexpected sacrifice. There were _no words._ In her mind, she saw no clear-cut way to convey the gratitude that threatened to drown her. There were, however, ways to _show_ him…

_Stop it!_ She internally chastised herself. An ache filled her chest. That path was impossible and would only lead to confusion and heartache for everyone involved. Zuko was her friend, nothing more, nothing less. He had Mai. He was _happy_ with Mai. His life was complicated enough. There was no need for her to throw anything else into the mix and make things worse for him. Katara clenched her teeth and her brows furrowed as a particularly strong memory took hold of her.

It was the evening after his coronation. It felt like every single citizen of the Fire Nation had managed to squeeze into Zuko's palace to celebrate the end of the war and the beginning of his reign as Fire Lord. Katara kept off to the side of the gathering, preferring to observe Aang as he tried to teach some curious citizens about dancing and Zuko as he mingled with the throng dutifully. She had never seen the new Fire Lord smile so much or laugh so heartily for such a long period. It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Seeing him act so light hearted, so buoyant, warmed her heart and she felt the corners of her lips pull up in response. The crowd parted for a moment and Zuko's eyes met hers. His smile was not as pronounced as it was to his new subjects but there was an undercurrent that felt more genuine, more heartfelt.

"Whatcha thinking about there, Sugar Queen?" Toph said, nudging Katara's arm.

Startled, Katara looked down, wondering from where her friend had materialized. "Oh, nothing," she answered automatically. When she looked back to where Zuko was standing, he had disappeared. She sighed softly.

The blind earth bender's brow quirked. "Doesn't sound like nothing," Toph noted. "Your heart is jumping around like rabaroo."

"No, it's not!" Katara flushed. Unconsciously, her hand fluttered to her chest where she felt her treacherous heart pounding beneath her heated skin.

"Uh huh," Toph smirked. "Whatever you say, Sweetness." She began to walk off in the direction of Sokka and the food. Turning back to Katara's embarrassed form, she said, "He's on the balcony. Have fun."

Katara's face blushed a deeper shade of crimson but began to sidle out the room. The air was cooler away from the multitudes of Zuko's well-wishers. She relaxed a little and walked breezily through the halls. Moonlight filtered through the massive windows, illuminating her path. Her lips formed a serene smile. She knew not what she wanted to say; only that she knew she needed to speak to her friend. In the light of the moon, she felt comfort. She could do this, whatever _this_ was.

She found him out on the balcony just as Toph said. However, she did not find him alone. Mai stood close to him, her hand on top of his. Katara hid behind a pillar, watching intently.

Mai whispered something that caused his cheeks to lift in what Katara could only suppose was a smile. He turned to face his companion and gazed intently at her, his hand brushing her cheek. This bothered Katara for reasons she could not identify. She understood her emotions when she saw Mai stand on her toes and press her lips to Zuko's. A sharp pang shot through Katara as if she had been electrocuted.

She was jealous.

The feeling only intensified as she watched the pair pull away and she caught the look in Zuko's eyes. His golden eyes smoldered down at Mai, looking at her as if she were some grand prize. He looked so at peace, so _happy._ It felt so wrong. Katara could not recall giving her feet permission but she was already half way back down the hall when she realized she was running away.

Katara gnawed her lower lip while the memory assaulted her. How could she be so stupid? What had she expected, _really?_ So what if every look he gave her sent shivers up her spine? So what if his embrace left her flushed and lightheaded? So what if he took a bolt of lightning to save her life? It meant nothing!

Her head hung low and a groan of despair escaped her lips. Try as she might to deny it, Katara had been unconsciously hoping for something, anything between her and Zuko since…well, since Ba Sing Se if she was being truly honest with herself. They had been on the precipice of starting something that day before Aang and Iroh burst in to rescue them. After her anger toward the prince had subsided, she had half-expected things to pick up where they left off between them. Yet there was always something stopping them, whether it was Aang's lessons, taking care of the group, or fighting for their lives. Fate seemed to be constantly working against them. Now, it was too late.

Water pooled into Katara's eyes as she gazed blankly out onto the horizon. The sky was turning a stormy gray, weighing heavily down on the Fire Nation. A cold gust of wind rustled her hair and the tears silently spilled over onto her cheeks. She breathed deeply, willing what she deemed to be irrational tears to stop, but to no avail. They continued to flow on their own accord and eventually she gave up and let them run their course.

"You should come inside before the storm hits," a rough voice said softly behind her.

Katara whirled around to find Zuko reclining casually against the wall, gazing at her intently. There was an amused twinkle in his eye, which abruptly vanished when he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks. His eyes widened in alarm and, perceiving his concern, she quickly wiped them away.

"Katara, what's wrong?" he asked, abandoning his post at the wall to join her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared down at her with worry. Conscious of her thudding heart, Katara avoided his gaze in an attempt to stifle the blush she felt brewing under her skin.

"I don't know," she replied noncommittally. "I guess all this stuff we've been through the past several months is finally catching up to me now that it's over." It was not a complete lie; the weight of everything had been bearing down on her. It just so happened that the weight of everything she and Zuko had undergone was particularly heavy on her heart at the moment.

Tentatively, Zuko placed a hand on Katara's cheek, just as she had done all those months ago under Ba Sing Se. She closed her eyes and felt his thumb brush away a stray tear. Instinctively, she leaned into his hand, savoring whatever time they would have together.

"Katara…" he murmured gently.

She finally allowed herself to meet his eyes. Like fire, the gold burned into the vast ocean that was her blue. They stood together in that endless moment speaking nothing yet saying everything with their gaze. A whole future stretched out before her, one that she never dreamed she would ever want yet found herself aching for it with her entire being.

Katara watched the years roll by in awe. She saw herself garbed in red and gold, holding Zuko's hands as they stood before a large crowd of onlookers. She saw her abdomen swollen with child and Zuko gazing in wonder when he felt the child kick. She saw herself sitting by the turtle-duck pond with a curly haired, golden-eyed boy, laughing and watching the mamma turtle-duck and her babies swim around the pond. Again, she saw herself sitting by the pond, gray-haired and withered looking with an equally aged man holding her close to him. The old man leaned down to press his lips against hers…

"Zuko," a bored voice said from the doorway.

Zuko blinked and looked away, toward the source of the voice, taking the vision with him. He smiled at the same time Katara sighed. "What is it, Mai?"

"Your uncle would like to speak to you in the throne room. Hey, Katara," she added as an afterthought.

"Hi, Mai," Katara whispered for fear that he voice would break if she spoke any louder.

"I'll be there in a minute," Zuko said to Mai, subtly dismissing her. She shrugged and returned inside, leaving the pair alone again. He turned his attention back to Katara who was doing her very best to keep her expression blank since she could not summon the strength to appear happy.

"You should probably go," Katara muttered awkwardly, turning away from him and looking out again at the empty courtyard. He made no reply but she could still feel him standing there beside her. The air around them zinged with electricity; Katara could not be sure if it was the storm brewing or if it was merely between her and Zuko. Finally, after a moment of silence, she faced him again, almost angrily and demanded, "What?"

He smirked at the change in her temper but his eyes remained soft. "Would you do something for me?"

"I…I guess." She looked at him hesitantly.

"Smile for me," he said simply.

"Why?"

"Because…it hurts me to see you look so down." Zuko scratched his neck awkwardly, as if he had admitted something embarrassing. Despite her darkened mood, Katara's lips pulled up on their own accord, surprised and pleased to know that he did care. "Thank you," he murmured, bending down to kiss her gently on the cheek. He left without another word or without turning to look back at her surprised expression.

When she could no longer see his retreating figure, Katara's hand brushed up against her cheek where the sensation of his lips still lingered. She pressed her fingers there, continuing to stare where she had last seen him. She did not flinch when the rain finally fell from the angry sky, nor did she shudder when the cold wind whipped her wet hair in face. She welcomed it. She welcomed it because it hid the fresh tears that made their way down her face and because it gave her something to feel other than the crushing feeling of being alone.


	3. C is for Crash and Burn

**Author Note: **The past two installments have been kind of angsty so I tried to lighten things up a little bit with this one. It's a bunch of fluff. No lies. Please review. It would make me so happy if you did. :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own AtLA. If I did, do you really think I would have allowed Katara to end up with anyone else but Zuko?

* * *

**C is for Crash and Burn**

If you need to fall apart,

I can mend a broken heart.

If you need to crash, then crash and burn.

You're not alone.

_-Crash and Burn, Savage Garden_

The sky was an inky black, broken up by pinpricks of light and, of course, the moon. It was oblong-shaped, although to the untrained eye, it may have appeared full. I knew the difference, however. I did not feel the surge of energy rushing through my veins as I did when my element's patron was fully present. No being, human or otherwise, was at risk of becoming my puppet. Not that I would stoop to such lows. It did help knowing I was incapable of doing so, though.

Although I did not feel the boost of energy from a full moon, I did feel uncommonly restless. I tossed in my sleeping bag until I heard Toph groan in her sleep, complaining about my excessive vibrations. I whispered an apology and snuck away, conscious of my slumbering companions. I glanced over my shoulder—protective instinct—and caught a glimpse of Zuko sleeping by the campfire. His hands twitched involuntarily and his lips mumbled unspoken words. He seemed as restless as I felt. The flames flared and dimmed in response to whatever emotions he was experiencing subconsciously. I watched, mesmerized, until the flames leapt several feet into the air and the banished prince bolted upright, sweat dewing upon his brow.

"No!" he bellowed, panting. His eyes roamed our surroundings reflexively and landed on me. I froze, locked in his bewildered gaze. Slowly, the tension eased out of his shoulders and his breathing evened out.

"Are you all right?" I murmured gently. He seemed unable to find his voice; he shook his head. "Oh," I replied lamely.

Silence filled the space between us. While he appeared to be collecting himself, I regarded him. His dark hair fell into his amber eyes, obscuring the scar on the left half of his face. Firelight bounced of the droplets of sweat on his bare chest. He seemed smaller than he used to be. When I first saw Zuko, he had a very imposing figure for someone who was no more than a couple years older than I was. Now, he seemed scrawnier, still strong, but he definitely lost muscle mass. I attributed this physical change to the few months he spent running from Azula and suffering from malnutrition.

Abruptly, his eyes flashed up to meet my gaze. "What are you looking at?" His tone was not defensive, as I would have expected, merely uncomfortable.

I blushed, saying, "Nothing." He raised his brow; he did not believe me. "I'm going to go for a walk," I quietly announced. "You are welcome to join me if you want."

I did not expect him to come; things were still a little awkward between us even though they were infinitely better than they were. Naturally, I was surprised when he stood up, shrugging on a shirt, and walked over to join me. I could feel the elevated heat radiating from his skin. A breeze gently ruffled my hair and raised turtle-goose bumps on my exposed flesh. I shivered.

Zuko looked at me expectantly and I began to lead the way. We walked in companionable silence. There were so many things that I wanted to say to him; I had no clue where to begin. Glancing surreptitiously at him, he seemed to grapple with his thoughts as well. Twice I saw him open his mouth as if to speak before he closed his lips again, thinking better of it. I felt the corners of my lips pull downward. True, Zuko and I had not been friends for long—a couple hours, really—but I wanted him to feel like he could talk to me. He had just helped me confront one of the greatest demons of my past; I wanted to do the same for him.

My feet moved on their own accord and brought me back to the rickety dock I sat on earlier that evening, watching the sun set into the west. As I had done before, I sat on its edge, dipping my feet into the cool water. Zuko stared down at me with a perplexed expression on his face. I patted the open space next to me, gesturing for him to join me. He shrugged and sank down beside me, a bemused smile on his face.

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked.

He turned in surprise. His eyes looked at me innocently. "Nothing," he lied.

I snorted. "Please, Zuko. I don't need to Toph here to tell me that you're fibbing. Really, what's wrong? You seem…shaken…or something."

He breathed a heavy sigh. Honestly, it felt as if he was carrying an immense weight on his shoulders. He looked into my eyes again and I saw his decision; he decided to unburden himself. "I guess…" he began. "I guess I've just been thinking a lot about my mom lately, what with our little adventure going to confront your mom's killer,"—he looked sympathetically at me then—"and I guess I'm just wondering where mine is."

His words baffled me. He could not actually believe his mother was still alive, could he? "I…don't understand," I admitted softly.

He did not look at me as he replied, "Up until very recently, I believed like you that my mother was dead. Now, I'm not so sure." I tilted my head quizzically. He noticed my confusion and explained, "During the eclipse, Ozai told me about what happened to my mother, trying to provoke me or to keep me around until his bending came back so that he could punish me for my insolence." He paused. I nodded at him, encouraging him to continue. He smiled weakly and murmured, "She was banished to protect me." I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off, saying, "It's a long and very painful story for many of the parties involved. I don't particularly enjoy reliving those days."

"So," I said, "she's alive?"

"That's what I gather from what Ozai said," Zuko replied. He hung his head, sighing, "I wonder what she thinks of me. After everything I've done, after all the people I've hurt, could she ever admit me as her son? If I find her, that is." He laughed bitterly.

My hand seized his. Zuko stiffened at my touch but did not pull away. I made my face a mask of seriousness, to make it clear that I meant every word that I was about to say. "Zuko, I'm sure, wherever your mother is, she would be _so_ proud of you."

Zuko seemed preoccupied with my tiny hand encircled around his. I made to remove it but he surprised me by lacing his fingers with mine. "Do you really think so?" he asked, almost shyly, looking up at me finally.

I beamed. "How could she not?"

His answering smile was dazzling. In the pale moonlight, only his eyes seemed to possess any real color. They danced like twin flames as they held my gaze. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he released my eyes but not my hand. He turned to look out across the water where the waves gleamed in the light of the moon. He seemed lighter somehow.

"Hey, Katara," he said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," I answered absently.

"Sokka once told me that his first girlfriend became the moon. Is that true?"

I felt my heart squeeze uncomfortably as I thought of Yue and my brother's sorrow that accompanied her death. "Yeah, it's true. Back at the North Pole, do you remember the koi swimming in the Spirit Oasis?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod. "They were the bodily forms of the Moon and Ocean Spirits. When Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, Princess Yue gave her life to bring back the moon. Sokka was pretty devastated. Why do you ask?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I was looking at the moon and I remembered a comment Sokka made once. I guess I was just curious." He lifted his head, staring up at the dotted expanse of the sky. "Look!" he said pointing at the stars above us.

"What exactly am I looking at?" I laughed, tilting my head in the direction of his outstretched arm.

"It's Draco, the dragon." He slowly pointed out the stars that took the shape of dragon. "It's Uncle's favorite constellation."

"Show me another." He grinned down at me and began searching for another familiar configuration.

Somehow, in the midst of our stargazing, I ended up lying with my back pressed against the planks of wood and Zuko's head rested on my abdomen. As I absently stroked his hair, he told me legends regarding the stars. For a few precious hours, I had forgotten about the war, about all the suffering…about Aang. For those few hours, it was Zuko and I and our diamond encrusted sky.

"And that one is my favorite," Zuko said, pointing out a constellation directly above our heads, "Ursa Major, the platypus-bear."

I was beginning to feel lethargic as I ran my fingers dreamily through Zuko's hair. Its texture was fascinating. Sokka never let comb his, despite his desperate need for a good grooming, and Aang rarely if ever even had hair. Somewhere in the periphery of my mind, I decided that male hair felt very different from girl hair. "Why is that?" I replied, brushing a loose lock out of his eyes.

"Probably because it reminds me of my mom," he answered in a matter-of-fact, albeit tired voice.

"How so?" I asked tentatively, worried that he may spiral back into his dejected state again.

"Well, her name is Ursa— so there's that obvious reason—and she sort of has the platypus-bear disposition. You know, nurturing to her young but fiercely protective, as well. Come to think of it, you're a lot like a platypus-bear too."

"I am not!" I swatted him away.

Zuko shifted to his side and looked me squarely in the eyes. "Chill, Katara. I was just kidding." He poked me lightly in the gut for emphasis.

"Oh," I said. Zuko making jokes was still a new concept to me. I felt dense for not noticing his mood. "Sorry," I muttered.

"Whatever," he responded, settling back down, using my stomach as his makeshift pillow. "In all seriousness, though, you really are. I mean, the way you take care of everyone around here, it's as if you're a mom, or something. Not to mention how protective you are of everybody. I know you'd give your life if it meant saving Sokka, Suki, Toph, and especially Aang," he murmured thoughtfully.

"I'd do the same for you, too, you know." I clapped a hand over my mouth, shocked by the forwardness of my words. He made no reply but I felt his cheeks lift up in a grin.

He turned his head back to the stars and remained thoughtfully silent. "When this whole thing is over, if I find my mom…"

"_When_," I corrected him.

"When I find my mom...I want you to be the first to meet her," he yawned. "I'd bet a hundred gold pieces that she would love you," he yawned again, stretching out his limbs.

"Do you really think so?" I asked quietly, echoing this question from earlier.

"How could she not?" he murmured, sleep beginning to take a hold on him. I smiled at the prospect. The veil of night began to creep upon me as well and I felt my lids droop with the weight of exhaustion. So quietly, that I could not be sure he really said it, Zuko's voice cut through my lethargy: "I know I do."


End file.
